Space inhalation device



Aug. 20, 1957 F. DEUSER SPACE INHALATION rmvxcs Filed Jan. 24, 1956Siernensstadt, Germany, a corporation of Germany Application .lanuary24, 1956, fierial No. 561,016

7 Claims. (6]. 12'8191) My invention relates to inhalation devices formedical treatment, and is more particularly directed to an apparainsfor. atomizing and electrically charging the atomized vparticlesof amedicament to be used as an inhalant.

For some kinds of medicinal inhalation-treatment, it is. known to beadvantageous to electrically charge the atomized particles of theaerosol to be inhaled with aunipolar charge. Best results are usuallyobtained when the electric charge is made as high as possible. For thispurpose, it ispreferable to highly atomize the inhalant to obtain thesmallest atomized particle sizes, for instance in the order of magnitudeof 1 micron. The mist containing these small particles is then conductedthrough a highvoltage corona system in which the electric charge isimparted to the particles.

It is an object of my invention to secure, in apparatus of the characterdescribed, a more effective electric charge than has heretofore beenpossible. To this end, the formation of the aerosol, that is theatomization, is carried out within a high-voltage corona system.

According to one of the more specific features of my invention,particularly advantageous results are obtained by placingthe atomizernozzle system at the same electric potential as the system of coronaelectrodes.

According to a further feature of my invention, the coronasystem is sodesigned that it more or less surrounds the atomizer nozzle systemconcentrically. Such construction results in an electric field extendingradially in space around the apparatus. Thus, the electric field linesfrom a central atomizer in a treatment room are directed equally to anumber of patients seated in a circle about the device. The paths of theelectric field lines and the air current are for the most partcoincident, so that the aerosol particles will remain in highly chargedcondition during their flow toward the patients.

The novel features which I consider characteristic of my invention areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. The inventionitself, however, and other objects and advantages thereof will beunderstood from the following description of a preferred embodiment whenread in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawings- Fig. l is an elevational view of the apparatusembodying the invention installed in an inhalation treatment room.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of theapparatus shown in Fig. 1, taken along the line IIII thereof in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the atomizing air heatingunit, taken along the line IlIIII of Fig. 2 in the direction of thearrows, and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the device shown in Fig.2, taken along the line lVlV thereof in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1! illustrates one embodimentof the inhalation device comprising the invention, the same comprising aheater unit 8, fixed at a central location against the ceiling of theinhalation treatment room, and a tubular support member 2 fixed to andextending down from the heater unit 8. The lower end of the supportmember 2 hascentrally fixed thereto a rounded metallic disc structure 3forming the top of the atomizer assembly. The bottom of the atomizerassembly is comprised of a semispherical metallic shell 5 supportedabout its periphery by a plurality of electric corona wires 6 fixed toand extending down from the periphery of the disc structure 3, thusforming together a slightly conical'arrangement. A curved, funnel-shapedmember 31 is secured in axial alignment with the disc structure 3,preferably by having the outer edge of said disc bent about theperiphery of said funnel-shaped member as illustrated'in Fig. 2. Thelower end of the funnel-shaped member '31 is interconnected with theshell 5.

The heater unit Sis for the purpose of heating the atomizing air as itflows through the air conduit 81 before it flows through the centralopening 2 of the tubular support member. As illustrated in Fig. 3, theair can be electrically heated by means of an electrical heater wire 82wound around a loop of the air conduit 81 within the unit 8. The heatingunit 8 serves to heat the infiowing air to such an extent that theexterior surface of the insulating tubular support member is kept at atemperature above the dew point of the inhalation room, therebypreventing condensation to preserve its insulating character while thedeviceis in operation.

An axial air tube 21 interconnects the lower end of the tubular supportmember 1 with a plurality'of radially extending tubes 52, the ends ofwhich are fitted with atomizing units 53. Suction tubes. 51 fromtheatomizing units 53 extend downwardly into .the medicinal liquid 54 to beatomized contained within the lower portion of the shell 5.

The parts 3 and 5 arev so shapedas toguide the aerosol mist into'a flowthat extends toward all sides in the radial direction and is turnedslightly in the downward direction, this flow being schematicallyindicated by the dotted-line arrows 4. in Fig. 1. Thus directed, theflow of aerosol mist reaches the patients 7 seated approximately on acircle about the axis of the device so that they inhale the highlycharged aerosol mist. The entire arrangement carried by the insulatorsupport member 1 is at high-voltage potential with respect to ground byconnection to the electric source through a high-voltage conductor 55.The lines of the electric field extend toward the patients, who are atground potential.

The high voltage can be produced in any known manner, for instance bythe use of a high-voltage dry-rectifier assembly (not shown). Forprotection of the patients from touching the high-voltage parts, anydesired expedience conventional for such purposes may be used.

An essential advantage of the device according to the invention residesin the fact that a diversion and discharge to grounded parts, of theaerosols to be inhaled is prevented to a large extent, thus affordingthe possibility of directing aerosols of unipolar charge into therespiratory organs of the patients at an extremely high etliciency. Thedevice also minimizes the danger that the aerosol droplets, on the wayto the patient, may immediately consolidate to undesirably largedroplets within the electric charging system. The extremely finedivision of the atomized substance, essential for best therapeuticresults, is thus fully maintained and utilized.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the inventionpermits of various embodiments, modifications, and uses other than thosespecifically described herein. For instance, depending upon the numberand seating arrangement of the patients to be treated, the directingelements for the field and for the How of aerosol can be so shaped andlocated that the flow of charged aerosol will practically only reach theplaces where a patient is seated, so that waste of the inhalant is keptto a minimum.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for producing a vaporous and an electrically chargedinhalant, comprising nozzle means issuing an atomized flow of particles,an electrically conductive cage structure surrounding said nozzle meansfor electrically charging the particles, and voltage supply meanselectrically connected with said nozzle means and said cage structureand having at both the same electric potential.

2. Apparatus for producing medical inhalants having electrically chargedparticles, comprising an electricallyconductive cage structure, saidcage structure having a plurality of corona wires defining the openingsof said cage structure, means for charging said cage structure to a highpotential, said cage structure comprising container means adapted tohold a supply of liquid medicine to be atomized, and atomizer meanswithin said cage structure for atomizing the liquid medicine, wherebyatomized particles will be charged to the potential of said cagestructure and whereby the charged particles can flow out of the openingsof said cage structure following the lines of electric force emanatingtherefrom.

3. Apparatus for producing medical inhalants having electrically chargedparticles, comprising an electricallyconductive cage structure, saidcage structure having a plurality of corona wires defining the openingsof said cage structure, means for charging said cage structure to a highpotential, said cage structure comprising container means adapted tohold a supply of liquid medicine to be atomized, atomizer means withinsaid cage structure for atomizing the liquid medicine, and a baffiewithin said cage structure and operative to direct charged atomizedparticles out of the openings of said cage structure and along the linesof electric force emanating therefrom.

4. Apparatus for atomizing and electrically charging medicinal liquidsfor inhalation treatment of a plurality of patients in an inhalationroom, comprising an electrically-conductive cage structure, anelectrically insulating support member connected with said cagestructure and adapted to suspend said cage structure from the ceiling ofthe inhalation room, said cage structure having a plurality of coronawires defining openings in said cage structure, means for charging saidcage structure to a high potential, said cage structure comprisingcontainer means adapted to hold a supply of liquid medicine to beatomized, atomizer means within said cage structure for atomizing theliquid medicine, and a bafile within said cage structure operative todirect-charged atomized particles out of said openings and along thelines of electric force emanating from said cage structure in thedirection of ground potential.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4, wherein said electricallyinsulating support is hollow to provide air conduit means, said atomizermeans comprising said air conduit means.

6. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said corona wires arearranged along generatrices of a downwardly tapering conical surface.

7. Apparatus for atomizing and electrically-charging medicinal liquidsfor inhalation treatment of a plurality of patients in an inhalationroom, comprising an electrically-conductive cage structure, anelectrically-insulating support connected with said cage structure andadapted to suspend said cage structure from the ceiling of theinhalation room, said electrically-insulating support being hollow toprovide conduit means for supplying atomizing compressed air, an airpipe connected with the ceiling end of said insulating support, meansfor preheating the air in said air pipe before it flows through saidinsulating support conduit means, said cage structure having a pluralityof corona wires defining the openings of said cage structure, means forcharging said cage structure to a high potential, container means insaid cage structure adapted to hold a supply of liquid medicine to beatomized, and atomizer means within said cage structure and connectedwith said insulating support conduit means, whereby atomized particleswill be charged to the potential of said cage structure and whereby thecharged particles can flow out of the openings of said cage structurefollowing the lines of electric force emanating therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 816,463France May 3, 1937

